Defining networks in entrepreneurial ecosystems: the openness of ecosystems - data

The data captures characteristics of 81 UK university entrepreneurial ecosystems. The data has been collected primarily from university websites, spinoutsuk.co.uk, FAME database, Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Research Assessment Exercise 2008, Research Excellence Framework 2014, Office for National Statistics.

The columns of the dataset correspond to variables, the rows to observations at university entrepreneurial ecosystem level (in total covering 81 university entrepreneurial ecosystems).

The dependent variable covers the following period of time: 2014/15-2020/21.

All remaining variables (except for Stock of Spinoffs 2014) cover 2002/3-2013/14.

Stock of Spinoffs 2014 covers 1959-2014.

The following are descriptions of the variables:

• Spinoffs 2015 to 2021 - A count of university spinoff firms formed between 2014/2015 and 2020/21.
• University Size - A sum of total university income between 2002/3 and 2013/14 in billions of pounds sterling. The variable is expressed in natural logarithms.
• Disclosures - A sum of annual disclosures between 2002/3 and 2013/14 expressed in natural logarithms.
• Science Bias - The variable is based on Research Assessment Exercise 2008 and Research Excellence Framework 2014, and is a proportion of total outputs rated as 4* across traditional science fields (Clinical medicine; public health, health services and primary care; allied health professions, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy; psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience; biological sciences; agriculture, veterinary and food science; Earth systems and environmental sciences; chemistry; physics; mathematical sciences; computer science and informatics; aeronautical, mechanical, chemical and manufacturing engineering; electrical and electronic engineering, metallurgy and materials; civil and construction engineering, general engineering) out of all 4* outputs submitted by each university, and is averaged then across both assessments (RAE 2008 and REF 2014).
• 2002 Regional GVA per capita - A value of GVA per capita in 2002.
• D Regional GVA per capita - A change in GVA per capita between 2002 and 2014.
• 2014 Stock of Spinoffs - The variable represents a stock of spinoff companies formed between 1959 and 2014 (less those accounted for by Ecosystem Openness).
• TTO Experience - The age of a TTO as measured on 1^st May 2014.
• On-Campus Incubator - A proportion of a 12-year period between 2002/3 and 2013/14 when access to on-campus incubator was available at the university.
• Off-Campus Incubator - A proportion of a 12-year period between 2002/3 and 2013/14 when access to off-campus incubator was available at the university.
• Science Park - A proportion of a 12-year period between 2002/3 and 2013/14 when access to science park was available at the university.
• Seed Fund - A proportion of a 12-year period between 2002/3 and 2013/14 when access to seed funding was available at the university.
• Venture Capital - A proportion of a 12-year period between 2002/3 and 2013/14 when access to venture capital was available at the university.
• Management Team - An average of university spinoffs’ directors' average numbers of directorship positions held at 1st May 2014 or at spinoff’s deregistration date (i.e. last available date).
• D Industry Income - The variable measures the change in university's research income between 2002/3 and 2013/14.
• Ecosystem Openness - A count of spinoff companies founded jointly with one or more higher education institutions between 2002 and 2013.

Research results based upon these data are published at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-022-00710-w